Teachers, hmmm...I would consider myself sef-taught but did take lessons at different times(I wish I could have stayed with the teachers but...that is another story):
Around 1963(I was 11yo) my family went to a hotel resort for a week and I attached myself to the band's drummer, Alan Burke, and he gave me my start playing drums. He didn't believe in starting with rudiments, instead he had me on the kit playing jazz ride pattern with my right hand, 2 & 4 on snare and HH foot, 1 & 3 on BD. I could now play the drums. He also warned me not to play rock & roll, jazz playing was the only way to go.
About two years later I was at the race track with my dad and there was an orchestra playing there. On snare drum was an old guy(80's) who answered all my questions about playing drums(then as now I had no interest in horse racing). He gave me his phone number and offered to give me lessons. His name was Sam Borodkin. He lived in the Warwick hotel, a block from Carnagie Hall. He started me on Stone's Stick Control. He claimed to have played with Tuscaninni(sp?) and had instructed many top jazz players (Krupa, Cole,
) On one occasion we went into a music store and they had a kit set up on the sales floor(no cymbals though, just drums) and he asked if he could try them. The salesman laughed at him and said OK. Then this old timer sat behind the kit and took off--he soloed for about ten minutes and people from the street filled the store to watch him. I'll never forget that incident--it was great.
After not playing for many years I decided to start playing again(1989) and took some lessons from a player I found in the newspaper--Skip Reed. He was around my age and liked my playing. He got me going on Stick Control again, as well as a few other books. He also let me sit in at gigs he was playing. I had to stop after about a year of lessons with him.
Now, I am teaching myself the rudiments using the Vic Firth web site. They also have a good set of lessons there to learn how to read and my understanding of reading drum parts has improved greatly. I will persue this even further.
